Peeta opens the door to the house and I walk through, setting my shoes on the floor. My jar of money gets set next to the sink and I bring the fire back up again. Peeta sighs and I can tell he's shaking his head without even looking back at him. I slowly stand up from the fire and stretch. 

"What is it?" I ask, turning to look at him.

"Nothing," He says and I step around the table, running my fingers across the grain of the old thing. 

"Peeta," I say softly and he shakes his head.

"I just feel like such a disappointment," He says. "I want the mill and the new leg and everything and you work so hard for so little out here. And now that you're finally making money doing something you care about and it all goes to me and it just doesn't seem fair to you."

"Money doesn't mean anything to me, Peeta," I say. "I don't need anything and you do. It makes sense that I pool the money for things that actually will make a difference for me. For things that will improve both our lives, not just mine or yours." He keeps looking down and I walk over to him. "I know you grew up in a world where money was easy to come by and now, while you are getting better, you don't feel good about me being the money maker. That is why I want to invest in your dream out here. So we can both make this a good life out here, okay?"

"Yeah, I get that, but it still sucks," He says looking at his remaining leg. I tip his chin up and shake my head. 

"You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself, Sweetheart," I say softly. "There isn't anything wrong with you, just the way you are now." I lean against him and lay a hand on his shoulder. I lean forward and kiss him heavily. His hand comes up and grips in my hair and I pull away. He looks a me and I slowly let go of his arm, sliding my hand down and running my fingers between his. I step away a little bit and he looks at me.

"What was that for?" He asks and I shrug. 

"Just felt like doing that," I say stepping away and walking towards the stairs. "You gonna come up any time soon?" He looks at me, his head tilted, like he's a little confused. 

"You usually make me wait until you are already ready for bed," He says and I shrug.  

"You don't have to tonight if you don't want," I say barely above a whisper and I carefully start up the stairs, my legs trembling a little as I climb. I'm not sure what made me do it, invite him into the loft like that. But I just have a feeling that tonight was it. 

The night I invite the kind of affection we'd both been holding back on. 

I step into the bedroom and carefully unpin my hair, shaking it loose and laying the golden bird on my dresser and hearing the telltale thumping as Peeta  comes up the stairs after me. I glance at him for just a moment and then back at my hands.

"What did you say?" He asks and I shrug, picking at my fingers. I grab my hair brush and start taking out the knots in my hair, my stomach flip flopping. "Katniss?" I sigh and set down the brush, walking over to him and sighing.

"Forget it," I say. "It was just a stupid kiss. I was foolishly acting on impulse." He tips up my chin and kisses me gently. I look at him as he stops and he chuckles. 

"And I accepted your invitation into your bed if that is what you really do want," He says. I take a deep breath and lean against him.

"I know very little about what we are suggesting," I say and he laughs. 

"We'll figure it out together then," He whispers and I smile, gently touching his cheek. I kiss him again and feel his hands gripping into my hair. I press myself closer to him and rub one of my feet along his calf, feeling myself fill with that connected warmth I had desired. I feel his hands move down and he grips the strap of one shoulder between his fingers.

I break the kiss and he slowly slides the strip of velvet from my shoulder and I shiver at the touch he leans forward and hesitantly kisses my shoulder. I look up at the ceiling and I lay my arm over his shoulder, gently. I press closer to him and just kind of lay my head on his shoulder. Peeta's hand curls around me and holds onto the back of my dress in a closed fist. He gently nips at my ear and I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. I let out a shaky breath and Peeta stops, looking at me.

"You okay?" He asks. I nod, smiling as I push him back further so he is against the bed. 

"Yeah, I'm okay," I whisper and he lets go of me, easing down onto the bed. I slide the other shoulder of my dress off and let it slide off my body beneath the weight of the heavy glass pieces. He looks at my body, barely covered in a thin cotton slip and smiles. 

"You are so perfect," He says and I nervously lean over him, stepping out of the crumpled fabric. 

"So are you," I say, smiling as I sit on his lap, my legs on either side of his body. I feel movement beneath me and Peeta looks up at me as my trembling fingers unbutton his shirt. He kisses me as I slip my fingers beneath the fabric of the shirt and slide it off his broad shoulders. I feel my heart pounding and hear the roar of blood in my ears as I carefully clutch onto him. I lean my head against his and He chuckles. 

"I don't understand how you could possibly say something like that with me sitting here, a cripple who can't provide for you," He says and I place a finger to his lips. 

"I told you, I don't care about that," I whisper, running my hand carefully down his neck and then to his chest. "The only part of you that I should even remotely care about is this beautiful heart. And it is all I care about, Peeta." He leans forward and kisses me again, running his hands down my slender body.His hands rest in the small of my back and I break away for a breath. 

"Can we, uh," He looks down shaking his head. "I know you have seen me like that, but I really don't want to think about my bum leg the whole time." I nod and slowly get off him.

"You wanna get under the covers?" I say and he nods.

"I know it's stupid because you don't care and this is what my life is now, but I really," He shakes his head and I tip his chin up. 

"If it bothers you, it's okay," I say. I walk to my side of the bed and crawl underneath the blanket. Once I'm there, I slide the slip off my body and pull it away, setting it off to the side on the wooden floor.  I look away as Peeta does the same, removing the rest of his clothes and getting into bed. I take a deep breath and feel his hand on my shoulder. I roll over and look at him. He smiles and pushes the hair away from my face. 

"You really sure about this?" He asks and I nod, moving my so I'm sitting up a little.

"Yeah, And from the little I do know, I think you are too." He looks at me and runs his hand down my arm carefully. 

"Can I," He looks down and shakes his head. "Gods this is embarrassing." I smile.

"You want to touch me," I say. "He nods slowly and I carefully take hold of his hand, guiding it back up and then down my naked body. I suck in a deep breath as I guide his hand down, across my stomach and lower, lower still as he gets to my groin. I guide his finger along the slit of my body and exhale slowly, my toes gripping into the sheets.I press his finger into my opening and lay my head back.

"Is that?" He asks and I nod.

"That's where you go," I say. I feel his finger pressing into me and , slowly moving in and out.

"It's," He looks at me nervously. "It isn't very big." I chuckle into a little moan as he continues to move his finger in and out.

"Why do you think most girls aren't in all that much of a rush?" I ask and Peeta looks at me. "Don't worry. It stretches. How do you think a baby is able to make an exit?" He looks at me and carefully pulls his hand away.

"You really sure about this?" He asks and I nod, reaching over and running my fingers along the middle of his chest.

"Yeah," I say, barely above the whisper. "I'd be nervous whenever this happened. So I feel that it's time that we go ahead and let our eros take over for just a little while. He leans over and kisses me, his arm moving to my side and pushing me down. He does his best to move over and I open my legs so he can settle between them. I feel that raw feeling between us and grip onto his shoulders. 

I feel his member pressing against my entrance and I break the kiss, my own curious hand reaching down to let him enter me. He looks up and groans ans he slowly eases into me. I feel myself being stretched around him, though it doesn't hurt me. It isn't supposed to when there is  a soul bond between the two initiating carnal contact. I groan feel my legs come to rest at his hips as he leans forward, sucking on my neck. I cling to him as he moves in and out of me, feeling my body readily accept the invader. I bite into his neck and whimper as an amazing, electric feeling starts to move through my body. Peeta doesn't even register the pain of my nails and my teeth as my body braces itself for the final nerve being pushed over the edge. I sit up a little and cling onto him.

"Something is happening," I gasp and he turns to look at me. 

"Something bad?" He asks and I shake my head, feeling my body start to grow more rigid. 

"No,"  I moan out, "Something wonderful. " MY body shudders against him and a breath of his name leaves my lips. Peeta apparently also reaches that great something at the same time and I feel a warmth move into my body as he falls onto my body, groaning and breathing heavy. He looks at me after a moment, both of us trying to catch our breath.

We both start laughing, leaning our heads against one another. I start laughing and  so does he, reaching forward to run his finger across my cheek.

"I love you so much," He whispers and I smile, running my finger through his now very messy curls.

"I love you too," I whisper. "I love you too."